1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pouch that is attached to a mattress covering within a child""s crib. The baby is inserted into the pouch and the pouch""s movement is restricted by its attachment to the mattress. The pouch prevents an infant from rolling onto it""s stomach or becoming lodged between the bars of the crib while still allowing the baby to roll from side to side. The constriction of the infant""s movement by the pouch protects the infant from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and other dangers.
2. Prior Art
For centuries, cribs have been used in place of standard beds to provide a sleeping area for babies and infants. The railings on these devices prevent infants from rolling off their mattress and injuring themselves. Unfortunately, cribs do not protect infants from all dangers.
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) causes the deaths of thousands of children in this country alone. SIDS is usually caused by infants rolling over into a face-down position and suffocating. Children may also be suffocated by bumpers and blankets in their cribs. The infant may accidentally suffocate itself as it is unable to roll back over. To prevent this, it is known to place pillows or other semi-firm devices on either side of an infant while they are laying on their backs. Placing these devices on either side of the infant prevents him or her from rolling over and suffocating. However, this method greatly restricts the infant""s movement and does not allow an infant to roll onto his or her sides. This results in a lack of comfort for the infant. In addition, larger infants may accidentally push such support devices away from them such that they may roll over.
Another danger encountered by infants within a crib is the railing of the crib itself. Infants may inadvertently get one or more limbs caught in slots between rails and/or between the mattress and the frame of the crib. This may result in skin bruises and abrasions as well as the twisting and spraining of joints.
There therefore exists a need to provide a safe but comfortable and effective method of restraining the movement of a child within a crib.
It is also desirable to provide a method for effectively preventing an infant from projecting its arms and legs through the slots between rails of the crib.
It is also desirable to provide an effective method for reducing the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
The present invention consists of a pouch into which a baby is placed. A zipper and flaps having Velcro(copyright) pads are used to enclose a substantial portion of the child""s upper body within the pouch. Shoulder straps hold the child in place while allowing his or her head and arms to protrude from the pouch and move freely. The back of the pouch is pivotally attached to a half sheet mattress cover such that the baby may lay on its back or roll from side to side. Velcro(copyright) is preferably used to attach the pouch to the half sheet, as it is safe and strong. The invention eliminates the need of a blanket and prevents movement to the edge of a mattress where a child could suffocate against a bumper or blanket.
The shoulder straps have Velcro(copyright) pads on their distal ends. These distal ends are placed between flaps on the chest of the pouch also having Velcro(copyright) pads. This securely holds the shoulder straps in place so that the infant fits snuggly within the pouch and straps such that it may not come out of the sleep pouch. The tight, secure attachment of the shoulder straps prevents the child from removing them. Because the shoulder straps attach to Velcro(copyright) pads between pouch flaps, they may be adjusted to comfortably fit the child as it grows. This allows the same sleep pouch to be used from the birth of a child until the time that it no longer sleeps within a crib.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that there are a wide variety of government regulations on clothing and bedding materials for infants. These regulations are designed to minimize health risks to children. For example, children""s sleepwear must be made of fire resistant material. There are also restrictions on the type of connecting and attaching means used. The present invention is readily adaptable to the regulations and well suited for use in government approved methods.
Because the child may not roll over such that he or she lies face down on the mattress, the risk of SIDS is minimized. Furthermore, because the child is restricted to the center of the mattress, the child cannot suffocate on the bumper or get arms or legs stuck or damaged between the rails of the crib or between the frame and the mattress. They are prevented from being suffocated by the blanket. The sleep pouch of the present invention also allows a child to freely move his or her head and arms. The lower portion of the pouch is larger than the torso portion and allows a child to move and kick his or her legs freely within the pouch.
The sleep pouch of the present invention may be comprised of a thin, lightweight material such that the child does not become overly hot while sleeping in it. Alternatively, the sleep pouch may be comprised of a thick, warm material to enhance comfort in relatively cold environments.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus to enhance the safety of a child while laying or sleeping.